Chapter 1913: Settlement of Accounts after Autumn

He didn't want to believe this cruel truth, but Ao Qinhan had no grudge against him and had no reason to lie to him.

Moreover, no human has ever raised a sacred dragon in history. Even the Beast Taming Sect, which has been passed down for thousands of years, may not know this secret. It is normal that Wan Yincai does not know it.

Thinking this, Lin Jichen suddenly looked up sharply, his gaze like a sharp sword shooting towards the Azure Dragon King sitting above him. His eyes gradually turned cold and fierce, carrying an undisguised question.

"Senior Azure Dragon, why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

After recovering from the shock of the news, Lin Jichen immediately realized that something was wrong.

When he first came to the Dragon Realm to find the Azure Scale Pool, the Azure Dragon King, upon learning that his dragon pet was the Holy Dragon Princess, initially insisted that he hand it over. Later, for some unknown reason, he changed his mind and, under the pretext of "reluctantly agreeing" to let him raise the Holy Dragon, demanded that he bring the Holy Dragon over for a check-up every ten years.

Fortunately, he thought the Azure Dragon King was reasonable and was always grateful to him for not killing him and for "generously" allowing him to take the Holy Dragon away.

But now, Ao Qinhan's words were like a bucket of ice water, completely extinguishing the gratitude in Lin Jichen's heart.

Damn it, so this old man knew all along that the Holy Dragon couldn't be tamed, and he also knew that the Dragon Realm's spiritual veins were declining and resources were depleted, making it impossible for the Holy Dragon to grow smoothly. That's why he went along with it and agreed to let him continue to take the Holy Dragon away to nurture it.

In this way, Lin Jichen is helping the Dragon Clan cultivate future leaders for free. The Dragon Clan not only doesn't need to contribute any resources, but can also reap the benefits. She only needs to wait for the Holy Dragon to come of age, and she will automatically return to the Dragon Realm to rule the Dragon Clan.

This is incredibly cunning! So, they've been using them as free tools all along?

When the Azure Dragon King was stared at by Lin Jichen's cold and sharp gaze, a hint of embarrassment flashed across his old face, as if his deepest scheme had been exposed in public.

He coughed awkwardly twice, raised his hand to stroke the armrest of the throne, his eyes darting around, and began to explain with a lack of confidence.

"This situation does exist among the Holy Dragon Clan, but... but since you didn't ask, I naturally forgot to tell you."

Lin Jichen's eyes narrowed slightly, the coldness in them intensifying. Good heavens, is he trying to shift the blame?

His aura suddenly turned cold, and even the spirit crystals in the Azure Scale Palace seemed to be affected by this cold air, their luster dimming slightly.

Seeing that Lin Jichen seemed to be getting angry, the Azure Dragon King had no choice but to tone down his attitude and soften his tone in an attempt to ease the tension.

The Azure Dragon King felt extremely uncomfortable under Lin Jichen's cold and sharp gaze. His old face turned pale and then red, and the majesty of the dragon king he had previously displayed vanished.

He rose from his throne, his wide blue robe sweeping across the armrests, creating a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy. He unconsciously stroked the dragon whiskers that hung down to his chest, his eyes darting away, not daring to look directly at Lin Jichen, while he still forced himself to explain.

"Young friend Lin, you're wronging me! I truly didn't mean to hide anything!"

"You didn't intentionally hide it?"

Lin Jichen sneered, his voice suddenly rising in pitch, causing the spirit crystals in the hall to buzz.

"Then may I ask, Senior Azure Dragon, when I first stepped into the Azure Scale Palace with Ao Chi's dragon egg, after you learned that she was of the bloodline of the Holy Dragon, you first sternly rebuked me and demanded that I hand over the dragon egg, but then suddenly changed your mind and allowed me to take her away to raise her. You even set a rule to check on her every ten years. I'm afraid this rule was to monitor her growth progress."

He took a step forward, releasing his full power as a being of the Feathered Realm without reservation, crushing down on the Azure Dragon King like a mountain pressing down on him.

On the white jade floor tiles of the Azure Scale Palace, countless cracks instantly appeared, and the dragon-patterned walls around the palace trembled as if they were about to collapse at any moment.

Lin Jichen's imposing manner remained undiminished, uttering each word with unwavering resolve.

"You said the Dragon Realm's resources were depleted and they couldn't afford to raise the Holy Dragon, so you let me take her away. But you knew perfectly well that the Holy Dragon would lose its memory and erase all its bonds after reaching adulthood, yet you refused to say so!"

Lin Jichen's gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, each word piercing to the heart.

"You've treated me like a free breeding tool! You've used my sincerity towards Ao Chi as a stepping stone for the continuation of your dragon clan!"

Ao Chi, hidden in the sleeve, seemed to sense the awkward atmosphere. It abruptly stopped gnawing on the spirit crystal, a hint of fear flashing in its golden eyes. Its little paws gripped Lin Jichen's sleeve tightly, making a soft "chirp" sound, as if it were comforting him or asking what had happened.

Lin Jichen glanced down at the little guy, and his anger subsided slightly, but the coldness in his eyes did not diminish at all.

He recalled the disappointment and heartache he felt when Xiao Wan left, and he never wanted to experience it again.

But unexpectedly, even the most beloved Ao Chi was going to repeat the same mistake, which would be unbearable even for the most good-tempered person.

His efforts for Ao Chi seemed utterly laughable in the face of the Azure Dragon King's scheming.

Fearing that Lin Jichen would really lose his temper, the Azure Dragon King quickly reassured him, "Young friend Lin, please let this old man explain."

"You really need to give me an explanation!" Lin Jichen stared directly at him, his gaze unfriendly.

The Azure Dragon King sighed and said earnestly, "To be honest, when you kidnapped my Holy Dragon Princess as a pet, you would have been dead for sure in the past. The reason I didn't kill you was because of this. After all, you have indeed done a lot for the Holy Dragon. You dared to create the Azure Scale Palace and brought the Holy Dragon's only offspring to my dragon clan. I am very grateful to you."

As he spoke, the Azure Dragon King glanced at Ao Chi hidden in Lin Jichen's sleeve and continued.

"The spiritual veins of the Dragon Realm began to decline a thousand years ago. The four orthodox dragon clans have been fighting amongst themselves for a little spiritual energy. Where would they find the extra resources to cultivate holy dragons?"

The Azure Dragon King's voice carried a hint of despair, and his azure eyes were filled with exhaustion: "If Ao Chi is left in the Dragon Realm, let alone growing into a Holy Dragon King, she will probably have difficulty even breaking through to the Enlightenment Realm, and may even die young due to insufficient bloodline awakening!"

"Letting you take her away is a decision I've made after careful consideration! Only the human race has vast territories and countless natural treasures, and only you, Lin Jichen, have the ability to protect her and help her grow!"

The Azure Dragon King suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Jichen: "As for the investigation every ten years, that's to ensure that her sacred dragon bloodline hasn't been contaminated by the turbid air of the outside world, and to ensure that she can live to adulthood! I really didn't scheme against you!"

"No scheming?" Lin Jichen scoffed. "Then why don't you tell me the truth about why the Holy Dragon loses its memory after reaching adulthood?"

"Because I'm afraid you'll give up." The Azure Dragon King blurted out, then slumped his shoulders as if deflated.

"I admit I lied to you on this point, but in the end, you and I were just each pursuing our own interests and ulterior motives. Did you not have any selfish motives when you nurtured the Holy Dragon?"

The moment these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall instantly became strange.

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